It seems like an odd day for a celebration Jesus is marching into Jerusalem, crowds cheering, palm branches waving, hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! but he knows what s coming. This parade is known as the Triumphal Entry, and it s an enactment of the victory march of a Liberator coming to claim his throne. But there s no throne for Jesus, not yet anyway, just a cross. The victory hasn t yet been won, so the celebration is a bit premature. Isn t it? It looks that way in hindsight, anyway. And what about us we know what s coming. This is the beginning of Holy Week, full of conflict and shadows and tears and death. Beyond that is Easter, and that s when the real party happens. That s when we celebrate, at the Resurrection, after the victory has been won. That s the time to sing happy songs and wave branches around isn t it? To celebrate now seems a bit like a denial of reality. And indeed, some Christians pretty much skip from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, without daring to venture into the heavy stuff of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. To celebrate now seems like wishful thinking, closing our eyes to the suffering in the world around us. Or maybe it s the shallow power of positive thinking stuff, like whistling Don t Worry Be Happy to a person with serious depression. Don t worry about the Romans and their legions, don t focus on the oppressive religious powers, look how happy Jesus is, everything is going to be alright! That might be how it feels on Palm Sunday, celebrating the victory while the struggle is ongoing. I think there s something deeper going on, deeper and stronger. Some of you remember the 90 s movie Stepmom. It s the story of a fairly typical family, two kids coming to terms with their parents divorce. It gets worse when their dad remarries, bringing this new woman into their lives, Isabel. The stepmom. She wants to be loved and respected, but she s an easy target for their anger about everything wrong with the family. But then the kids mom finds out that she has cancer. We re going to watch the scene where she and her ex-husband tell the kids about it. (Stepmom, 1:09:00-1:14:30)
What just happened? Is this singing and dancing a denial of the reality of cancer? Are they just making the best of the time they have left eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow she dies? Is this an exercise in wishful thinking, that by singing about nothing coming between them, if they can just believe it enough, they won t be separated? Maybe. This is Hollywood, after all. And plenty of people try that in real life, too. But I suspect that this is something else. I think that this is a defiant celebration. A refusal to be defined by their losses and struggles, to instead be defined by their love for each other. That s the refrain that we heard in Psalm 118 the steadfast love of God endures forever. This is a very upbeat psalm, this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! But it s not a lite and fluffy celebration. The writer has been through hell, he s been surrounded by his enemies, he s been on his death bed. And yet he praises God s faithfulness. And there are hints that his struggle isn t entirely in the past tense Save us, O God, Deliver us! His celebration is a choice in the middle of the realities of life. This is the call of Palm Sunday, to celebrate Jesus as Liberating King even before we ve been liberated. To celebrating the resurrection even before we ve been resurrected. To prepare for the shadow of death by praising the light of God. It s a stubborn, defiant celebration. In this present struggle, even though it s not over, even though it will kill us, we will be defined by our celebration. The things we celebrate, the things we love, that s who we are, even in our struggles. Last week Ben s sermon reminded us of the many changes we face in our church, and elsewhere in our lives, asking us what needs to die so that God might bring new life? And we say yes! to the new life. But the changing, the dying, that hurts. Many of us were at a funeral just yesterday, others are grieving other significant losses. Death is painful, separation and loss and sickness and conflict are our realities. We ll share some of those stories in our sharing and prayer time later. We ll remember the realities of violence and loss as we light the peace candle later. The suffering of life is part of who we are. Our celebration doesn t change any of that. But we celebrate anyway, because we are not defined by our pain but by God s faithfulness.
But enough talk; celebration is an active verb! So that s what we re going to do next. We re going to again read through Psalm 118, with some songs of celebration mixed in between the verses. I know, that s not exactly everyone s idea of a party But we are a community, so these songs and style are common to what seems to work for most of us. Feel free to host your own Palm Sunday dance party tonight. One more word about celebrating as a community. Not all of us are going to feel it today. As I said, some of us are grieving, some of us are hurting, some of us are depressed. If that s you, that s okay. You don t need to feel like celebrating. But know that those of us who are smiling and tapping our toes aren t ignoring or denying your pain. We aren t trying to cheer you up. What we are doing is reminding you of God s faithfulness, that there is life and resurrection and goodness to celebrate. Together we know that this is true, we have experienced this, we live this, even when we lose sight of this as individuals. So join in or not as you are able, and know that God is present either way. Psalm 118: A Song of Victory 1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let God s People say, 3 Let the holy ones say, 4 Let those who fear the LORD say, Song - My Soul Is Filled With Joy StJ #13 (v1-3-5) 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a wide, safe place. 6 With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? 7 The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put confidence in mortals. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. Song The Lord Is My Light StJ #97 (v1-2 fade at 2:00) 10 All nations surrounded me; 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; 12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the LORD does valiantly; 16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. Song - Praise, praise, praise the Lord StJ #11 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; those who live rightly shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Song This Is the Day 25 Deliver us, we beg you, O LORD! O LORD, we beg you, give us the victory! Song Halle, halle, halle StJ #17 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Start the celebration, dance into the house of God! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Song - We Will Walk With God StJ #78